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Two Chilean Miners Have Been Trapped Underground for Eight Consecutive Days

Two miners have been trapped below ground in Chile for eight consecutive days. Authorities are currently trying to locate the miners who reportedly went missing when a gold mine they were working in was flooded following a landslide.

The miners, who have been identified as Enrique Ojeda and Jorge Sanchez, were last seen on June 9, which has prompted Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to send a message of support to the country. "All united, we Chileans will continue working without rest to find our miners in Chile Chico. They are not alone," she wrote on Twitter.

Authorities have not yet made contact with the miners, nor do they know if they've survived and made their way to the underground emergency shelter. All operations at the location, Cerro Bayo, have currently been suspended. The area is responsible for producing around 14,000 ounces of gold and 1.7 million ounces of silver last year.

Many may be comparing this incident to the 2010 tragedy, when 33 miners were trapped and later rescued after 69 days underground. Former Mining Minister Laurence Golborne explained, however, that these comparisons are not logical or helpful in any way. "Beyond the similarities that exist in the two cases, I don't think it's right to compare these events, and even less to politicize this human drama and the pain that those affected and their families are feeling," he said.